Apple has removed upwards of 700 apps from the Chinese App Store including some notable ones developed by Sogou — a Chinese alternative to Google — and Pinduodo, an online retailer app.

The apps have been removed because they were updated outside of the App Store without Apple’s permission. Every newly launched app or an app update must go through Apple’s App Store team for security and privacy concerns before making it live for all users on the App Store. The company explicitly prohibits app developers from updating their app outside of the App Store.

Apple has been strictly enforcing the App Store regulations over the last few months. It removed thousands of illegal gambling apps from the Chinese App Store in August. Before this, the company removed all VPN apps from the Chinese App Store due to a new government regulation. Over the course of the last year or two, Apple has removed well over hundreds of thousands of apps from the Chinese App Store to meet government regulations or better adhere to its own App Store regulations.

With the Chinese App Store now generating a significant amount of revenue for Apple, the company has been keeping a tight eye on the store for any kind of wrongdoing and ensuring none of the apps flout any rules. Apple is always under intense scrutiny from the Chinese state media where it is frequently criticized for any issues with the App Store.